‘New Mutants’ Reportedly Eyeing Rosario Dawson for Mutant Mentor Role

Just this morning we learned some interesting new details about New Mutants, the upcoming X-Men spinoff from The Fault in Our Stars director Josh Boone, who describes the project as a “full-fledged horror movie.” If you’re anything like us, then that bit of intel made you anxious to hear more about the latest film in Fox’s Marvel-ous mutant universe — looks like we didn’t have to wait long for another update, as the studio is reportedly eyeing two more actors to join the lineup.

You might have missed another intriguing tidbit in Entertainment Weekly’s feature on New Mutants: Sources close to production told the site that 13 Reasons Why star Henry Zaga has been cast in the role of Sunspot, and though Fox has yet to confirm, an official announcement is said to be forthcoming. Meanwhile, THR confirmed rumors that Rosario Dawson is in talks for New Mutants, in which she’d play the part of Dr. Cecilia Reyes, a mutant with the power to create a protective bio-field. Similar to James McAvoy’s Professor X, Dawson would be playing mentor to the titular group.

That group also includes Game of Thrones favorite Maisie Williams as Wolfsbane, a mutant with werewolf-like shapeshifting abilities, and Split star Anya Taylor-Joy as Magik, a master of sorcery who can teleport with the help of special discs. Although McAvoy was heavily rumored to be reprising his role as Charles Xavier (and Taylor-Joy herself suggested as much), sources told THR that he doesn’t appear in the script.

Boone will begin filming New Mutants in July, working from a screenplay he co-wrote with Knate Lee. The spinoff is currently scheduled to hit theaters on April 13, 2018.